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Jewiss and Double R set the pace in opening test

13 Feb 18

Jewiss records quickest time of first pre-season test.

Hauger and Arden top afternoon session.

13 FEBRUARY, 2018 – The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost took to the track for the first time in 2018, with official pre-season testing kicking off at Brands Hatch. During a day plagued by inclement weather which meant the entire field conducted all its running on Hankook wet tyres, it was Kiern Jewiss and Double R Racing who set the pace.

A time of 52.976s from Jewiss put him 1.871s clear of Arden’s Sebastian Priaulx in the morning and would not be beaten. The two Ginetta Junior graduates showcased plenty of pace and made use of their experience, having run alongside British F4 on the support package for the ever-popular British Touring Car Championship.

Priaulx could be consistently found at the sharp end of the times along with Fortec Motorsports’ Johnathan Hoggard. The latter recording more laps than any other driver and lapping quicker than Priaulx by just 0.016s in the afternoon.

Next on the combined timesheets were the familiar faces of Jamie Sharp (Sharp Motorsport) and Hampus Ericsson (Fortec Motorsports). Both drivers competed in the Ford EcoBoost-powered series last season, with Ericsson’s previous visit to Brands Hatch holding plenty of fond memories as he clinched the Ford F4 Challenge Cup in the final race of 2017.

Red Bull Junior Team driver Dennis Hauger (Arden) wound up sixth overall, courtesy of his performance following the lunch break. The 14-year-old Norwegian was the only driver to break the 56-second barrier with a time of 55.868s to top the afternoon session.

Paavo Tonteri proved to be Double R’s second-fastest runner, finishing seventh on the combined timesheet and bouncing back from a trip to the barriers in the morning.

Hauger was one of only three drivers to improve upon their morning’s best effort, with fellow Arden runners Patrik Pasma and Jack Doohan finishing fourth and fifth quickest respectively in the afternoon. They ended the day inside the top 10 and sandwiched Double R’s Sebastian Alvarez, with Lucca Allen (Fortec Motorsports) in 11th.